West Monroe Senator Jay Morris is accused of using a racially derogatory term during a heated debate over a new Congressional District map. Because tensions were running high, the meeting was briefly paused. Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Dadrius Lanus says when Morris got up from his seat, he told him to “Shut Up Boy” …
“The first time, he said to the audience, ‘Y’all need to shut up.’ That was loud and clear. The second time, he said, ‘ Y’all just shut up, boy,’ and he was looking me directly in my face; which is why, if you go and look at the video, the audience’s reaction was like, ‘Wow, this guy really just said that,"” Lanus explained.
Lanus was a guest on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana.”
Morris denies using the word boy. Senate Governmental Affairs Chairman Caleb Kleinpeter spoke with reporters, and he does not believe the word “Boy” was used towards Black people in the audience.
“I want to go on the record that I have spoken to three different news stations that verified that Senator Morris did not say, in fact, what he’s been accused of saying,” Kleinpeter said.
The video from media members is inconclusive on whether Morris said the word “Boy” when confronting audience members that he said were talking loudly during the debate making it hard for him concentrate and answer questions.
Kleinpeter says he spoke with several news organizations who were covering the tense committee meeting and none of them heard Morris use the word “Boy.”
“WAFB, and quite a few credible news stations, have debunked that,” Kleinpeter noted.
But Lanus says he knows what he heard.
“He actually believes the fact, or wants you to believe the fact, that he did not say what he said,” Lanus said.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will meet again on Wednesday. It’s expected they will approve a map that eliminates one, if not both, Black Majority districts from the state’s Congressional map.